SAKHALIN / KURAFUTO

Sakhalin Oblast is unique among the 11 Federal Subjects of the Far Eastern Federal District as the sole island administrative region. Its history has been marked by a historical tug-of-war between two major colonial powers over past centuries: the native Russian and the dominant Japanese. The Japanese connection with Sakhalin can be traced back to the 17th century when, in 1635, the first Japanese expedition landed on the island. Subsequently, in 1679, the Matsumae dynasty of Hokkaido established a settlement known as Otomari (Korsakov) on Sakhalin.

The island's history continued to evolve through the centuries. In the 18th century, a Chinese expedition referred to the island as Sahaliyan and claimed it as part of the Jilin province of China. The first formal Russian claim on the island was made in 1806 by Lieutenant Nikolay Alexandrovich Khvostov, sparking a long-standing territorial dispute between Russia and Japan.

Throughout the 1800s, the destiny of Sakhalin swung back and forth between the two superpowers. In 1869, the Japanese renamed the island as "Karafuto," a name that persisted into the next century. The formal annexation of South Sakhalin into the Japanese Empire occurred in 1907, and by 1925, North Sakhalin was also occupied by Japan. During World War II, Karafuto became a formal prefecture by imperial decree on March 26, 1943. However, as the war came to an end, Sakhalin's fate was sealed, and in 1946, it was formally incorporated into the Soviet Union. By 1951, Japan had renounced all sovereignty over Southern Sakhalin, making it a permanent part of the Soviet Union.

During the Japanese occupation of Sakhalin between 1907 and 1946, many villages, towns, straits, and islands underwent renaming from their Russian to Japanese spellings.

• Karafuto (Sakhalin)
• Ochiisi (Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky)
• Nayoshi (Esutoru)
• Nishi-Sakutan (Boshnyakovo)
• Motodomari (Vostochny Sakh)
• Ushiro (Orlovo)
• Noda (Chekhov)
• Haihora (Gornozavodsk)
• Rutaka (Aniva)
• Toyohara (Vladimirovska)
• Ochiai (Dolinsk)
• Shiritoru (Setyutora)
• Anaiwa-Misaki (Cape Bellinghausen)
• Kita-Shiretoko-Misaki (Cape Terpyeniya)
• Shikuka (Tikhmenev)

Sakhalin Oblast, a significant administrative region of Russia, encompasses both the mainland Sakhalin Island and the disputed Kuril Islands. The core of the dispute centers around the sovereignty of four islands: Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai. Following Japan's surrender in 1945, these islands came under Soviet control and have remained under Russian administration. Japan claims ownership based on historical ties and treaties.

The legacy of Japanese influence still lingers on Sakhalin Island. Notably, the Sakhalin Regional Museum of Local Lore in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk features typical Japanese architecture and dates back to its opening in 1937. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk boasts a small Japanese Buddhist pagoda and several monuments throughout the city. Many Japanese restaurants in the city retain names from the island's former Japanese nomenclature. The Ainu language, nearly extinct, is another unique aspect, although not directly influenced by Japanese, and it shifted to Hokkaido after Japan's surrender.

Looking back at old maps, during the 1600s, Sakhalin was absent from Asian maps. In the early 1700s, a vague landmass was marked, just touching the tip of Honshu (referred to as Niphon), encompassing both Hokkaido and Sakhalin. By the 1750s, an unnamed, misshapen island was placed north of Jedso (Hokkaido). Toward the late 1700s, the name 'Sagalien' or 'Sagalienula Hatka' began to appear, gradually taking the form of the present-day island. By the 1800s, an alternate name for Sakhalin emerged, 'Choka' or 'Tchoka' or 'Tarrakaï.' Finally, during the formal Japanese occupation starting in 1907, the island's name was changed to 'Karafuto,' a name that persisted until 1956 when it officially reverted to its former name, Sakhalin.

Below is a historical map of Sakhalin from the Japanese occupation period, featuring Japanese names in brackets.